Machine for polishing or grinding elongated workpieces



B. V. DAVIS July 17, 1962 MACHINE FOR POLISHING OR GRINDING ELONGATED WORKPIECES 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 8, 1958 By 14 9-)? 7Attorney July 17, 1962 B. v. DAVIS 3,044,222

MACHINE FOR POLISHING OR GRINDING ELONGATED WORKPIECES Filed Dec. 8, 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG 2,

uly 1 1 6 B. v. DAVIS 3,044,222

MACHINE FOR POLISHING OR GRINDING ELONGATED WORKPIECES Filed Dec. 8, 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 H lnvenlor BEE/VAR!) ME mm '5 Attorney Claims priority, appiication Great Britain Dec. 14, 1957' 2 Claims. (Cl. 51142) The invention relates to a machine for polishing or grinding an elongate work-piece, having a curved surface, for example, a compressor blade. The invention is particularly concerned with an improvement in or modification of the machine described and claimed in Patent No. 2,799,126.

The machine described in Patent No. 2,799,126, comprises a base carrying a vertically-slidable member having two arms, one of the arms carrying a part-spherical rotatable follower roller, and the other arm carrying a rotatably-driven polishing head, the arm carrying the follower roller being vertically movable relatively to the vertically-slidable member to a limited extent to a predetermined position, the head and roller being spaced on opposite sides of the vertical axis of the slidable member,

and the machine including a former-carrying table and a work-piece table, the tables being automatically movable together relatively to the head and follower both longitudinally and transversely of the base, whereby the said curved surface of the work-piece is polished, or ground, in accordance with the contour of the former.

An object of the present invention is to provide a machine of simpler construction than that described in Patent No. 2,799,126.

According to the present invention a machine, for polishing or grinding an elongate work-piece having a curved surface, comprises a table, arranged to carry a former and a work-piece positioned substantially parallel with each other, the table being movable either longitudinally or transversely of the former and the work-piece; the machine also comprising a vertically-slidable member having two arms, one carrying a follower and the other carrying a rotatably-driven grinding or polishing head, engageable with the former and the work-piece respectively, the vetrically-slidable member being slidable upwardly or downwardly in accordance with the contour of the former and also being movable at right-angles to the direction of movement of the table in a direction either transversely or longitudinally of the former and the work-piece. I

Preferably the table may be arranged to be reciprocated in a direction longitudinally of the former and the workpiece and the vertically-slidable member may be arranged to be fed in steps in a direction transversely of the former and the work-piece. The table may be supported for reciprocatable movement by slideways on a fixed part of the machine, at least one of the slideways extending longitudinally of the former and the work-piece and forming a guide for the table. The vertically-slidable member may be mounted in an upright guideway supported by a cross-slide movable in further guideways on a fixed part of the machine and extending at right-angles to the said guiding slideway and in a direction transversely of the former and the work-piece. The table and cross-slide may be movable automatically or manually.

By way of example, a blade grinding machine according to the invention will now be described with reference to the drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective View of the machine;

FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional view, looking from the side of the machine and on the line II-II in FIGURE 3;

atent O 3,944,222 Patented July 17, 192

FIGURE 3 is' a cross-sectional view on the line III-III in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the vertically-slidable member and the guideway thereof; and

FIGURE 5 is a section on the line V-V in FIGURE 4.

extending in the longitudinal direction of the work-piece and the former. The rail 6 is slidably engageable in a V-shaped grooved slideway 7 mounted on a rectangular base 8 mounted on a pedestal 20. The base also has a supporting flat surface 9 extending along the edge opposite the edge having the slideway 7, the flat surface being engageable with a corresponding surface 10 underneath the table. The base also has a rectangular aperture 11 in its surface. A vertically-slidable channel-section mem ber 12 extends through the two apertures 2, 11 and carries at its upper end two arms, one arm 13 carrying a partspherical rotatable follower roller 14 engageable with the former 5 and the other arm 15 carrying a rotatably driven grinding head 16 around which passes an endless abrasive band 27 engageable with the work-piece 4. The vertically-slidable member 12 is mounted and guided in a vertical channel-section member 17 closed by a retaining plate 35 each having vertical guiding faces 33 (see FIGURES 4 and 5). The member 17 has an outstanding horizontal flange 18 at a position intermediate its length, the flange being attached to a cross-slide 19, positioned beneath the table and slidable in horizontal guideways 21 extending parallel with the edges of the base and at right-angles to the V-shaped grooved slideway 7. The table has an upstanding flange 36 adjacent its periphery. The flange 36 carries a cover 22 including a pivoted door 23 in which there is an inspection window 24. A wall 37 connects opposite sides of the upstanding flange 36 to form, with that part of the table supporting the work-piece, a tray for receiving coolant fed to the work-piece, as later described.

Apart from the attachment ofthe cross-slide 19 to the guiding member 17, the mounting of the verticallyslidable member and its associated parts, the grinding head and the follower roller are similar to those described in Patent No. 2,799,126. Briefly, the principal parts are an electric motor 25 mounted on the lower end of the vertically-slidable member 12 and arranged to drive a pulley wheel 26 carrying the endless abrasive band 27, passing around idler wheels 28 and the grinding head 16. The tension in the band is determined by an adjustable idler wheel 29. The total weight of the vertically-slidable member 12, the electric motor 25, the grinding head and follower and all the associated parts carried by the vertically-slidable member 12 is partly supported by a counter-balance weight 30 connected by a chain 31 to the lower end of the vertically-slidable member. The chain 31 is supported and guided-by pulley wheels 32 carried by the cross-slide 19. The grinding head 16 is not immersed in a bath of coolant, as in the machine described in Patent No. 2,799,126 instead liquid coolant may be continuously directed on to the work-piece, at each side of the band by means of feed pipes, one of which is shown at 38.

The table 1 is automatically reciprocated, in the direction of arrowsY in FIGURES 1 and 3, longitudinal- 1y of the work-piece and the former. A hydraulic cylinder 39 in FIGURE 3 is provided for this purpose. Control buttons 40 are provided for introducing inching movements of the table in either of the directions shown 7 3 1 by arrow Y. The cross-slide 19 is fed automatically in steps, in the direction of arrow Z in FIGURES l and 2, by means of another hydraulic cylinder 41, in FIGURE 3. A ratchet mechanism (not shown) acting on a leadscrew 42 connected to the cross-slide 19 controls the magnitude of the feeding steps. A hand wheel 34 engageable with the lead-screw 42 is also provided. The hydraulic operating systems for the table and the. crossslide are inter-related, so that the feeding of the crossslide always occurs at the mid-stroke of the table. vOn feeding movement of the cross-slide 19, transverse movement, as a whole, of the guiding member 17, the vertically-slidable member 12, the polishing head 16, the motor 25 and the follower 14 occurs.

base 8 and the table 1 to permit the required movement transversely of the work-piece and the former to take place and the clearance afiorded by the aperture in the table also permits the required longitudinal movement of the table. member 17 and the table 1 and the vertical movement of the vertically-slidable member 12, in the direction of arrows X in FIGURES 1-4, enables the roller follower 14 to travel over the curved surface of the former, corresponding movement being imparted by the grinding head to the work-piece. Another hydraulic cylinder 43 (see FIGURE 2) is provided to raise the vertically-slidable member at theend of the grinding operation.

Horizontal movements of the guiding The guiding mem- ,ber 17 has sufiicient clearance in the apertures in the Several machines as described herein, may be operated simultaneously in a battery and in that case one large set of hydraulic operating systems common to all the machines may be provided.

Although in the example just described, the machine has been described as a grinding machine, it may also be used for polishing by taking avery small depth of cut. An especially fine abrasive band may be used for the purpose.

The machine shown in the drawings therefore differs from that described in Patent No. 2,799,126 mainly in that the vertical guiding member, the vertically-slidable member and the associated parts are bodily movable transversely of the work-piece and the former, the longitudinal movement only being imparted to the table carrying the work-piece and the former; whereas, in the machine described in Patent No. 2,799,126the longitudinal and transverse movements are both applied to the tables supporting. the work-piece and the former.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A machine, for polishing or grinding an elongate work-piece having a curved surface, comprising a table, arranged to carry a former and a work-piece positioned substantially parallel with each other, slideways on said machine and supporting said table for reciprocatable movement in directions longitudinally of the'tormer and the work-piece, at least one of said slideways forming a guide for the table, means for reciprocating the table, a vertically-slidable member, two arms extending from said member above said table, a follower carried on one of said arms and engageable with the former, a rotatablydriven grinding head carried on the other of said arms and engageable with the work-piece, an upright guideway for said member for guiding said member for movement upwardly and downwardly in accordance with the contour of the former, said upright guideway passing through a central aperture in said table, a cross-slide carrying said upright guideway, further guideways on said machine engageable with said cross-slide and extending at right angles to said table slideways in a plane parallel with the plane of the table, means for feeding said cross-slide, said upright guideway and said member bodily in a direction, transversely of the former and the work-piece, and means for driving said grinding head.

2. A machine, for polishing or grinding an elongate work-piece having a curved surface, comprising a table, arranged to carry a former and a work-piece positioned substantially parallel with each other, slideways on said machine and supporting said table for reciprocatable movement in directions longitudinally of the former and the work-piece, at least one of said slideways forming a guide for the table, means for reciprocating the table, a vertically-slidable member, two arms extending from said member above said table, a follower carried on one of said arms and engageable with the former, a rotatablydriven grinding head carried on the other of said arms and engageable with the work-piece, an upright guide- Way for said member for guiding said member for movement upwardly and downwardly in accordance with the contour of the former, said upright guideway passing through a central aperture in said table, a cross-slide carrying said upright guideway, further guideways on said machine engageable with said cross-slide and extending at right angles to said table slideways in a plane parallel with the plane of the table, means for feeding said cross-slide, said upright guideway and said member bodily in a direction, transversely of the former and the work-piece, said grinding head comprising a pulley wheel, a driving wheel, an endless abrasive band passing around said pulley wheel and said driving wheel and held in engagement with the work-piece by said pulley wheel and means for driving said driving wheel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,831,412 Elleubecker Nov. 10, 1931 2,798,341 Sharman July 9, 1957 2,799,126 Davis July 16, 1957 

